


In My Arms Again

by yinyangswings



Series: This Shit is Weird: The Ayden Trevelyan Story [3]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Blood Magic, Blood and Injury, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-18 13:57:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11875971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yinyangswings/pseuds/yinyangswings
Summary: He's always been screaming on the inside...he's just never had anyone there to wake him up when the screams escape to the outside.





	In My Arms Again

_He should have known it was a dream. Nothing was ever this perfect for him, but he relished the image that filtered around him in the fade as Ayden chuckled, taking a bite out of a cookie, dark hair fluttering lightly in the wind, his expression joyful and free of any wrinkles that had become prominent on his face since the Inquisition started, other than those dimples, licking his fingers, before leaning over, capturing the altus in a lazy kiss._

_He should have known it wasn’t going to last._

_But Maker, why did it have to be so horrid?_

_A blink of an eye, and suddenly he was in his home in Qarinus, in one of the study rooms if he recalled correctly, held down by some of Halward Pavus’s loyal slaves, parallel to an object covered by a dark cloth. Panic crept in._

_This was a dream. Just a dream._

_This already happened. He wasn’t here anymore._

_But when he heard footsteps echoing down the hall, Dorian couldn’t fight the shudder._

_And soon after that thought, his father strode into the room._

_“Father.”_

_“Dorian.”_

_“I take that this is an attempt at showing what the ceremony would have been had I not escaped?” Dorian drawled, wetting his lips. “Incredibly overdramatic if I do say so myself. Honestly, I can’t imagine it looking at all like-”_

_Any retort, any scoff at this horrible excuse for a nightmare vanished as the drape was pulled away and Ayden was kneeling in front of him, slumped forward, his eyes glazed over._

_“No…”_

_“You will be my son again, Dorian.”_

_“Ayden?” Dorian managed through strangled chords, “Maker’s breath, what have you done to him?!”_

_“I am righting a wrong. He attempted to turn you away from your family.”_

_“No! He’s the one that even suggested going to see you in Redcliffe!! He’s the one that told me to let you talk!”_

_Halward made no suggestion he heard Dorian’s rebuttal, instead pulled Ayden’s head back, walking behind the prone rogue._

_“With his blood you will return to my side.”_

_“No please! Father, Father don’t!!”_

_**“Dorian…”** _

_“PAPA, PLEASE!!”_

_It was pathetic really, to be degraded to the point of using a name he hadn’t called his father since he was six, but it did little as the dagger pressed to Ayden’s throat._

_There was no hesitation and the sickening sound of the blade sliding along Ayden’s neck echoed in the room._

_**“Dorian!”** _

_Blood splattered on the walls and floor, misting on him and he began to yell, struggling against the elves even as the blood began to glow._

“DORIAN!!”

His eyes snapped open, a gasp escaping from him as Ayden’s room came into focus, and the said man was above him, staring at him with widened eyes; the worry swirling in them visible even in the darkened room.

“Maker’s breath, I thought you were having a seizure or something.” Ayden hissed out, cupping his cheek and Dorian whimpered in relief at the contact. It did little to settle Ayden’s nerves. “You’re shaking. Dorian, what’s wrong? Are you ill? Do you need me to get you a healer or-”

Whatever Ayden was going to suggest was cut off as Dorian grabbed his face and dragged him down, capturing his mouth harshly, their teeth clacking against one another. Ayden only muttered a surprised gasp as Dorian pulled him close, rolling them over where Ayden was pinned to the sheets. The noirette blinked several times, trying to figure out what had just happened.

“Shit…Dori…” He whined, only rewarded with a flurry of Tevene and a harsh kiss as an answer, before the mage moved down, beginning to kiss the sides of his neck. Ayden flinched as Dorian bit down over his pulse point, replacing it quickly with a solid kiss, almost an apology. Welp, Josephine was going to break her clipboard, he was sure of it. And while he was enjoying where this could possibly go, something was clearly wrong. Ayden shifted, pressing his hands against Dorian’s shoulders, pushing him lightly up.

“Hey…come on, let me see your face.”

Ayden pulled Dorian up, cupping Dorian’s cheeks, taking note of the panicked expression, the glassy eyes still half asleep, but still glassy with tears desperately being fought back.

“Dorian…” Ayden stated softly, running his thumbs over his jawline, but Dorian shook his head. Unsatisfied, Ayden rolled him to where Dorian was lying on his back, pinning him there. He peppered Dorian with gentle kisses for a few moments, before he felt the altus relaxing and slid into a deeper kiss. Dorian clung to him, the last visages of the nightmare still wrapped tightly around his mind. He dragged his fingers down the rogue’s back, marking him again. Real. He was real, alive. Whole.

Not bleeding to death in front of him.

Ayden let out a sigh, moving away, pressing his forehead to Dorian’s.

“…Whatever you saw in your dream, it didn’t happen here…” He softly implored. “I’m here, I won’t leave.”

Dorian didn’t respond.

“…Do you want to talk about it?”

“Maker, no.” Dorian muttered, lacking the usual teasing tone, replaced with something desperate and watery. Ayden was quiet for a moment staring Dorian, before kissing the other man lightly.

“Alright.” He replied simply, settling next to Dorian and pulling him close.

“I’m sorry...”

“You have nothing to be sorry about…” Ayden whispered gently. “I’m here for you. It’s not a beast of burden when you love someone.”

His heart was in his throat, unable to answer other than kissing Ayden’s knuckles. His body screamed to leave, to flee back to his room. To not get too close. It would hurt too much if he let it go any farther. But the younger man seemed to reject the unspoken idea, instead nestling against Dorian’s back; a familiar and comforting warmth to the altus, inhaling shakily as Ayden pressed a soft kiss to Dorian’s temple.

“And I love you Dorian...no matter what happens, that won’t change.” Ayden promised softly and for once Dorian felt he could actually believe it.


End file.
